It was Day 3 of coaching, and today we had the chance to witness what might just be the greatest cricket tournament ever (at least for us coaches!). The drama unfolded with sixes soaring out of the pitch, balls getting lodged in the stumps, and moments of pure chaos and hilarity, like free hits that never left the bat. Misfields and overthrows added to the excitement as eight schools from the Saptari district battled it out in a round-robin format, culminating in a thrilling final.
The girls arrived on time, brimming with excitement and energy. We kicked off the morning with a warmup that proved to be a huge hit: Tim and Ed’s “caterpillar” catching drill, involving one ball and a whole lot of fun-filled chaos.
Despite most of these girls having picked up cricket just a week ago, their skills were impressive, especially considering the short timeframe. As Coach Lee noted, “very good batting, very good fielding”. The only area needing improvement, he said, was bowling – something we’ll definitely work on next time.
One of the most heartwarming aspects of the day was the pre and post-match ceremonies. We conducted a formal toss, where captains shared their game plans. After each match, captains reflected on their experience, and finally, we celebrated the champions, BSRJ, with a cup and prize ceremony. Witnessing their joyful celebrations, complete with colorful paint splatters, was a truly special moment.
After 4.5 hours of exceptional cricket (and perhaps some average umpiring and clumsy scoring on the coaches’ part!), we headed back to the hotel, stopping by SABAL Nepal, our incredible NGO partners who made this event possible. SABAL is a humanitarian and development organization working in areas like disaster relief, education, and community development. Through our cricket coaching in partnership with SABAL, we strive for three key objectives:
- Building confidence in the girls through participation in the sport.
- Challenging gender stereotypes by showcasing girls’ potential through cricket.
- Increasing the visibility of cricket as a sport for girls.
Today, we witnessed the impact of these goals in action. It was, without a doubt, a pretty stellar day.
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